Feed device for milling-machines



(No' Model.)

B. I. LAT-HAM. Q FEED D BVIGB POR MILLING MAGHIHES... No. 260,760.

Patented July 11, 1882.

VS iin E 5 '5 E 5.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDW'ARD F. LATHAM, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

FEED DEVICE FOR MILLING-MACHINES.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,760, dated July 11, 1882.

Application filed July 5, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD ,F. LATHAM, of Bridgepora county of Fairtield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Accelerated Reverse Feed for Milling-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear. and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide on milling-machines an automatic reverse or quickreturn movement.

My invention consists in providing apinion operated and controlled by the proper mechanism, hereinafter described, to combine and engage with the feed-driving gear, whereby the carriage, after traveling far enough in one direction to perform the work required, will have its motion automatically reversed and will return to its formerposition.

By the present method ofoperatingmillingmachines, after the out has been taken-on the Work the carriage has to be brought back by hand, and, run as they are in most cases-in gangs, the time employed in operating them is considerable. With my improved method the carriage automaticallyreturns to its original position, ready at hand for the operator to readjust his work.

To more clearly understand my invention reference is had to the drawings accompanying this specification, in which-.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an ordinary milling-machine. A is thebed of the machine. B is the saddle, in which works the carriage C. D is a portion of the driving cone and gear. E E are the standards to support the same. F is the worm-shaft; G, the worm; H, the feed-driving gear. H is the feed-gear which operates the carriage C. a is the pinion on the shaft 1), which engages with the gear H, reversing the motion of the carriage C. c c are hangers, attached to thebed A, to support and provide bearings for the shaft b. d is a gear on the shaft 12, which engages with the gear e of the worm-shaft F, imparting motion to the shaft 1). I is a hanger having box J to support the worm-shaft F. K is a cone-pulley,

which drives the worm-shaft F. f is aclutchsleeve on the shaft 11, to engage with the pinion a. g is' a spiral spring to operate the sleevefand force it in contact with the pinion a. h is a fork-lever operating in the groove t of the clutch-sleeve to disengage itfrom the pinion a. j is a short shaft to which the triplever k is attached, which engages with thetoepiece l of the worm-shaft, holding it up and keeping the worm Gin contact with the wormgear. at is the forward and n the reverse stoppin, operated by the toes 0 and 19 attached to the carriage C. q is a trip on the shaftj, engaging with the stop-pin m, which throws the trip-lever it out of contact with the toe-piece l, and allows the worm-shaft F to drop. L is the wheel, having handle 7', by which the carriage C is operated, when necessary, by hand. M M are legs of the machine. 8 is a finger attached to the collar t of the worinshaft F, which disengages the stop-pin n from contact with the fork-lever h.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view, showing a secbed A, saddle B, and carriage C, and is in tended to show more clearly the construction of the fork-lever h and mode of operating it. 2 is a bracket attached to the saddle B, projecting downward and having an upward-projecting pintle, 3, on which the fork-lever it freely swings laterally. It is not essential that the bracket 2 should be constructed exactly as shown. Any suitable me'ansby which the fork-lever II. will swing freely will answer. It is necessary that they bracket 2 should always be attached to the saddle B so as to stand in the same relative position with the stop-pins m and 'n.

Its construction and operation are as follows trip'lever 70, allowing the shaft F to drop sufficiently to throw the worm out of gear and stop the carriage O, arresting its forward movement. When the worm-shaft F drops it disengages the finger s from contact with the fork-lever 7L, allowing the spring 9 to act, carrying the sleeve f having clutch a forward in contact with clutch t of the pinion a, reversing the movement of the carriage G. The sleeve f has a free lateral movement on the shaft b, and rotates with it, the key 4 preventing it from rotating independent of the shaft. When the worm-shaft drops and throws the worm Gr out of gear. the gears 61 and 6 still remain in contact. The drop of the shaft F is so slight at the end of the shaft occupied by the gears cl and e that there is but little change in their relation with one another. The shafts F and b are continually in motion, the pinion a, loosely fitting the shaft 1), and, prevented from end play by the collars w and a, acts upon the gear H only when in contact with the sleeve-clutch f when feeding the carriage O backward. Any suitable form of pinion or worm may be used on the shaft 1) that will engage with and transmit motion to the feed-driving gear H. When the carriageG in its reverse movement has traveled far enough, the toe 0 will come in contact with the stop-pinn, depressing the pinn, whose lower end is beveled to facilitate its contact with the fork-lever h, and force the fork lever h around and the sleeve-clutch f out of contact with the pinion a. The carriage G will then remain stationary at-its starting-point, ready for the operator to adjust the work. hen necessary again to feed forward, the wormshaft F is raised by means of the handle T, which connects with the toe-piece l, bringing it in contact with the trip-lever k. A pin is provided on the inner face of the toe-piece l, which engages with the trip-lever 7t, and operates to hold it up, also holding the worm-shaft F firmly in position, and bringing the worm G in gear. The stop-pin m,rcsting on the trip q of the shaft j, is raised at the same time. When the worm-shaft F is raised the finger 8 (see Fig. 3) forces the stop-pin n upward, disengaging it from the fork-lever It, so as to enable the spring 9, Fig. 1, to carry the clutch-sleeve f forward to connect with the pinion a as soon as the worm-shaft G drops. The stop-pin a may be fitted sufficiently close in its bearing in the carriage O to prevent its dropping down except when acted upon by the toe 0; or a suitable friction-spring may be used for that pur pose.

The carriage O, saddle B, bed A, the wormshaft F, and its construction, and the means by which it is operated, are not new, and therefore I do not claim them as such.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a milling-machine, the combination, with the worm shaft F, having gear 0, of the shaft 1), having gear d, and pinion a, with the feed-driving gear H, whereby the carriage O is fed in a reverse direction, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the carriage O and feed-gear H, of feed-driving gear H, the shaft 1), having clutchpinion a, clutch-sleevef, forklever h, spring 9 to carry the sleeve in contact with the pinion a, bearings c c for the shaft 1), as set forth.

3. The combination, with the fork-lever h, having bracket 2, of the finger .9, attached to the worm-shaft F and operated by it to hold the clutch-sleeve f free "and in readiness to be carried by the spring g in contact with the pinion a when the worm-shaft F drops,sub-

ED WARD F. LATHAM.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH Kos'r, GERHARD T. WESTUNG. 

